Attendance flat at Saunders Museum

After canceling its regularly scheduled meeting on July 5, the Berryville City Council returned to its regular schedule on July 19 for a short meeting focused mainly on reviewing monthly reports.

Mayor Tim McKinney took time to remind everyone about the burn ban in effect in Carroll County.

“Be very careful,” McKinney said. “It’s dry out there. Check on your elderly neighbors and give your dogs lots of water.”

After approving the minutes from its June 21 meeting, the council reviewed the monthly report from the city’s Saunders Museum.

Linda Riddlesperger

The report, prepared by museum director Joan Lasseter and issued for the month of June, showed the museum hosted 156 visitors — 148 adults and eight children — and took in $1,110.50, including $760 in admission fees, $330.50 in merchandise sales and $20 in donations.

“We’ve got some T-shirts with ‘Saunders Museum’ on them and they’ve been selling well,” said council member Linda Riddlesperger, who volunteers at the museum. “As of right now, has still not picked up. I don’t know if it’s COVID, gas prices, heat or whatever. It’s still down a little bit.”

Last year, the museum hosted 171 visitors in June and took in $944.

“It’s a nice, cool museum if somebody wants to come up and spend an afternoon,” McKinney said.

“And nice, soft carpet, too,” said council member Max Nichols, referring to recently completed renovations at the museum.

In other business, the council heard from Berryville Police Chief Robert Bartos, who delivered his department’s monthly report.

According to Bartos, city police issued 83 citations in June, down from 112 a year ago, and investigated 71 offenses, up from last year’s monthly total of 65. The department’s clearance rate for the month, Bartos said, was 85 percent.

The department took in $370 in fines and bonds in June and responded to 15 traffic accidents, up slightly from the 12 reported in June 2021.

The council also reviewed the monthly financial report showing sales tax collected in the city during the month of June. According to the report, the city received $169,272.98 from the city’s 1 percent sales tax — up significantly from the $141,309.14 received in June 2021, but down from last month’s total of $179,130.32 — and $84,636.49 from the city’s half-cent sales tax for the community center.

“Sales tax looks great,” Riddlesperger said.

Of the tax money received from June sales, $123,341.12 was added to the city’s general fund, $17,000 to the sewer bond fund and $15,227.30 to the street fund. The remainder was divided between the Saunders Museum and the parks commission funds, which received $4,568.19 each, and the tourism and cemetery funds, which received $2,284.09 each.

“It’ll be budget time before you know it,” McKinney said.

The council’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, at Berryville City Hall.